PARENTS in South Cheshire are being offered a free incentive to persuade them to give plastic nappies a miss.

The Cheshire Real Nappy Network wants more people to use its free cotton nappy service and save £600 - the amount on average parents spend on disposables.

The organisation makes 5,000 re-usable cotton nappy deliveries to parents in South Cheshire and Stafford-shire, and celebrates its third anniversary this week.

Ian Trippier, a director of the Real Nappy Network, says it provides an unlimited supply of nappies, delivered to parents' doors on a weekly basis.

He said: 'They are as convenient to use as disposable nappies with none of the disadvantages of the old-fashioned nappies. We do all the laundering, so it makes complete sense to use the service.'

He added: 'This organisation has prevented in excess of 250,000 nappies from being incinerated or land-filled. They an environmental nightmare. Noone knows how long it takes for the non-biodegradable plastic part of a disposable nappy to break down.'

The scheme is run by a partnership between Cheshire County Council and Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council and is paid for by Legacy Fund money.

County council Liberal Democrat leader Sue Proctor says it costs taxpayers more than £300,000 every year to get rid of the 36 million disposable nappies in Cheshire landfills.' A 16-page information guide for parents, Your Guide to Real Nappies, is available in Cheshire libraries.